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Volume 13 - Issue 6 - March 2008

DIVOCAL AND OPERAGloria

DIVOCAL AND OPERAGloria In Excelsis DeoTafelmusik Chamber Choir and BaroqueOrchestra; Ivars TaurinsCBC SMCD 5244As I write this, news has arrived that CBCrecords has abandoned "classical" recordings.Therefore, this Tafelmusik CD may prove to besomething of a special collector's item.Johann Sebastian Bach's Gloria In ExcelsisDeoBWV 191 is wonderful rarity that is of greatinterest to musicologists. The three sections alllook forward to the more well-known B-MinorMass, and indeed there is much evidence thatBach re-cast whole sections of this Gloria intothe larger work.Jean-Joseph Cassanea de Mondonville'sgrand motet Dominus regnavit is a superlativeexample of French high baroque, and is the workof a remarkable 24-year old composer. The triofor three male voicesand the subsequentfemale duetare simply spellbind-r ), All Age, ), All L,"1, ), All styI,,Jl Motivating Beginners' GroupsJl Private LessonsPIANO KEYBOARD GUITAR VIOLIN FLUTE SAX CLARINET DRUMSYAMAHAMUSIC SCHOOL 416-224-5590GJYAMAHAwww.yamahamusicschool.caNORTH TORONTO INSTITUTE or MUSICPrivate instruction and exam ~preparation by qualified teachersin the heart of Toronto.• Piano • Voice • Guitar • Strings• Woodwinds • Percussion • Theory• Music Theatre + Pre-school550 Eglinton Avenue East4 l 6-488-2588 www.nlimusic.com23 Gcange Roa

tenderness requisite for others. His excellentdiction and dramatic readings only occasionallycome at the expense of tonal beauty.Seth EstrinVivaldi - GriseldaColin Ainsworth; Carla Huhtanen; LynneMcMurtry; Jason Nedecky; Marion Newman;Giles Tomkins; Opera in Concert;Aradia Ensemble; Kevin MallonNaxos 8.660211-13We are living in amazing times - at least when itcomes to Baroque music. Increasingly, Baroquerecordings (many of them world premieres) arebecoming staples of music stores and recordcompanies. It is enough to mention the monumentaleffort ofna:ive Records, who are in theprocess of recording the entire catalogue ofover 400 surviving!I\'IV,\LLH um works ofVivaldi.One of the most~1.-.lc.t r..-~,.,~11prolific and successfullabels,NAXOS,whosingle-handedlyrevived the notionof quality, inexpensiveCDs, is active1 _,,,,..n R u .. u.,,..,. r •. l.(u.,..,1n',,J,r,l r • "u,-,..,.- · l.-l '-•t lf.;n, -.1 l'.,,;.,r1 Iht'tln '\ldlndin this sphere as well. The latest addition is theToronto-originated recording of Griselda byVivaldi, one of his late operas. The story ofGriselda, re-told in the Decameron, is a bizarretale of faithful girl oflow birth, put to a multitudeof gruelling tests by her regal husband,Gualtiero. As often happens in opera, the librettostretches credibility and is a mere excusefor dramatic twists and turns. The excellentAradia Ensemble, in collaboration withOpera in Concert, under the skilful direction ofKevin Mallon, proves yet again to this reviewerthat they have full grasp of the nuances ofthe Baroque repertoire.Such uniform praise is not possible for thevocalists on this record - precisely because ofthe wide availability of Baroque recordings.Constant comparisons are inevitable andamong principals, only Colin Ainsworth passeswith flying colours. Still, given the overall valuethat NAXOS delivers, it is a worthwhile additionto any CD collection.Robert TomasVerdi - La TraviataRenee Fleming; Rolando Villazon;Renato Bruson; Los Angeles Opera Orchestraand Chorus; James ConlonDecca 074 3215Besides countless recordings, there are over adozen video releases of La Traviata, one ofVerdi's most popular and beloved operas. So far Ihave always considered Solti 's DECCA performancefrom the Covent Garden as a benchmark,but this live DVD issue from the Los AngelesOpera is a worthy competitor indeed.Some of you may be familiar with a recentTo Inquire and QuestionAs SeniorsTo Pursue Life's Greater PotentialAmong Seniors (55+)Join Uswww.ulyssean.on.ca416 410-1892Services RecordingRecording & Mastering.Great live room in old movie theatre.Yamaha Grand Piano. Hammond M3& Leslie Milestone Drums. per hour 416.467.9597www.studio92canada.comCall for a coffee and tour• .,: Recording~ Mixi1i~Mastering:• ~Yainaba" - 'Grand • I-Iamipon

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